Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-10-28
THE POLITICAL TOURNAMENT OF
1855.

might hope to displace the republican
party from its position of entrenched
power and secure control of the reins
Of government. Having been success
full in the uneven contest of 1884, and
having under good leadership grown
steadily stronger ever since, it is not
at all probable that the democracy will
be overcome in the campaign of next
fall; but nevertheless the republican
opposition will certainly make a des-
perate attempt to regain the power
which has slipped from it's grasp. In
fact the republican leaders, unwilling
to accept their defeat as decisive, are
eager and anxious for the next national
canvass to begin, in the hope that
they may then retrieve their lost po-
litical fortunes. Actuated by this de-
sire they have endeavored to make
the present campaign for minor state
offices in the state of New York as
sumo as much of a national aspect as
possible. Some important matters in
connection with this campaign and the
coming presidential contest are con-
sidered in the following able and sig
nifcant editorial from The New York
Herald, which is instructive and prof
table political reading:
" THE REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING TO
POSE AS POLITICAL SAINTS"
"The republican state committee
has issued a leaflet containing a list of
the great deeds done by the party,
unaided and alone. The
following are, perhaps, the most CON
spicuous and brilliant
at subdued the rebellion and saved
" the union.
at raised the nation from bank
" ruptcy, and secured for cur public
g credit the faith of the financial world.
at has practically given each cit
Z" izen free home by securing the pub
" lie domain from the monopoly of
" capital.
1T has made competency a condi-
" ton of appointment to office and fl
g deity to duty the tenure of holding
s. it,
These are only samples of large
line of heroic measures which consti-
tute the republican demand for an
other lease of power. 1t Will be seen
at casual glance that the party is
of all the professional saints
in IA population of something over
sixty million people. They regard
themselves as the only authorized
agents for the importation of polit-
zeal virtue from the New Jerusalem,
and have formed a combine" to hold
the article for rise of the market.
If we look a little closely at the
facts, however, we find that these re-
publicans have not clear title to their
claim. They have the convenient
faculty of forgetfulness, and while
wildly recalling certain parts of the
evidence, utterly disremember other
parts equally as important. For ex-
ample, when they declare that they
have "practically given each citizen
free home by securing the public do
main from the monopoly of capital"
we recall Baron Munchausen, who had
the same habit of extolling himself
for heroic achievements which were
all in mis- eye. The cold, unhinching
records of history show that the re-
publican party has uniformly played
into the hands of monopoly of cap
ital," and deliberately cheated nearly
a million and half of our citizens out
of farms of one hundred and sixty
acres each by giving over two humid
red million acres of the public domain
to big corporations, cattle syndicates,
land spectators and aliens.
AS TO making competency a con
dition of appointment to Office and
fidelity TO duty the tenure for holding
it, we rise TO remark that civil service
reform properly administered keeps u
a faithful servant of the public in
office regardless of his politics, but
that on the advent of democratic ad-
miniStration and when the books were
looked over it was found that dem
ocrats holding even minor offices were
as scarce as hens teeth. With the
rareSt exceptions every position within
the gift of the government was held
by republican partisan, whose salary
was assessed for political purposes and
whose position was used as center
of political influence.
We'll, let the republicans go ahead
on their own line. They know what
they can do best, and since it is boast
ing, why, let them boast to their hearts
content. This is a free country, and
If they can persuade the people to
think as much of them as they seem
to think of themselves, all right. Ours
is government of the people, for the
people and by the people, and no one
can deny that the people are king.
THE democrats will probably be-
stir themselves, too, and The tourna-
ment of 1888 will be worth looking
at. The fight this autumn will not
to much more than sl1irmish.
but next year it will be pitched bat
tie. There is very little interest in
the state elections, and their results
will not have any perceptible influence
on the polls next year. This is an
off year, and at such time the people
never brace up, but are laggard and
indifferent. Besides, the nominees
are all fairly good, and we need not
worry much whether the one party
wins or the other.
But some one asks, If the repub-
icans elect their candidate in Novem-
Der aren't you afraid that the prestige
of victory will enable them to run
their president in in 1888? Not a par
tiele, and we will tell YOU why. The
Herald believes in the people-that is,
the rank and file. They know more
than the machine leaders think they
do. They are not easily wheedled, and
next year they will have their ewes
wide open to the issues at stake. The
have no principles to
fight for. or if they have they conceal
them very successfully. What the
country needs and must have if it is
to be prosperous is an admins
tration that represents the whole re-
public from Maine to the Pacific and
from the lakes 70 the Gulf. Now. the
party never has done that.
1t was not born to do it. 1t is essen
italy a sectional party, and never has
been anything else. 1t has not only
neglected fhe millions IF tho s,,r.b